A Territorial Army soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder could face jail after being charged with stealing a gun from his barracks for what his family believe was a suicide attempt.

The family and friends of Corporal Harry Killick say the father of two feels betrayed by the Army and they have launched a campaign to try to get him urgent professional medical help.

Relatives say Cpl Killick feels let down by the level of care he has received for the terrifying flashbacks he experiences from his time serving in Afghanistan.

A campaign to highlight his situation has already attracted more than 1,000 supporters online.

The 36-year-old was arrested in October at a home in Ditchling Rise, Brighton, by Sussex Police officers after allegedly taking a gun from the TA barracks in Dyke Road, Brighton.

Having been charged at Crawley Police Station, he was then remanded in custody to category B prison Highdown in Surrey.

Court hearing

He will appear at Lewes Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on January 4 charged with possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence, possessing a prohibited weapon and three counts of theft.

His sister, Linda Killick, said that he is currently on suicide watch at the prison and has been diagnosed by the prison psychiatrist with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cpl Killick joined the Prince of Wales Royal Regiment in 2008 after serving for five years in the Parachute Regiment, including doing tours of Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

After returning from a six-month tour in Afghanistan in October 2011, his family say he was sent immediately to Cyprus instead of taking post-tour leave and then felt pressurised to attend more training courses after that.

Traumatised

They say that he was struggling to deal with the traumas of his tour where he witnessed the death of several colleagues and was assigned a military community psychiatric nurse.

However, they claim that his treatment involved one session and then no further offers of help were given.

Having visited him this week, his sister said his condition has severely deteriorated over the last month and despite a significant increase in his medication, he continues to suffer from severe flashbacks.

Miss Killick said: “Harry is frightened and cannot understand why his beloved army has abandoned him.

“He is confused and feels he’s being tortured by his own people and is again talking about taking his own life.

'Flashbacks'

“He lives in a state of constant flashbacks reliving the horrors that he has endured.

“The help he is getting is minimal, sporadic and perhaps even more damaging.

“We are all struggling to handle the situation, and are also bewildered as to why he’d be treated this way.”

mnairb wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.

Agree!

[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.[/p][/quote]Agree!straycat

are you suggesting plod should have let a man steal a handgun and keep it? What if he used the gun to take in to a cinema or school? What would be your response there. Just because his family say it was for one reason or another, doesnt make it true.

[quote][p][bold]NDL[/bold] wrote:
Just about to go postal - well done plod![/p][/quote]are you suggesting plod should have let a man steal a handgun and keep it? What if he used the gun to take in to a cinema or school? What would be your response there. Just because his family say it was for one reason or another, doesnt make it true.Brightonlocal

mnairb wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.

Agree!

just for once im going way off base.
Happy christmas to all you wide ranging and varied people who liven up these pages and to the journos who give us something to complain about, also Jo W who wealds the blue pencil and not forgetting eddie m who didnt get a video or picture of the A27 at lancing yesterday evening one lane east bound completely flooded for a good length covering completely those new kerbs that not only have caused traffic havoc for weeks being layed but apparently were supposed to prevent flooding and standing water on this same stretch of road. WSCC and highway agency please note "they dont work" and the flooding is worse.

[quote][p][bold]straycat[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.[/p][/quote]Agree![/p][/quote]just for once im going way off base.
Happy christmas to all you wide ranging and varied people who liven up these pages and to the journos who give us something to complain about, also Jo W who wealds the blue pencil and not forgetting eddie m who didnt get a video or picture of the A27 at lancing yesterday evening one lane east bound completely flooded for a good length covering completely those new kerbs that not only have caused traffic havoc for weeks being layed but apparently were supposed to prevent flooding and standing water on this same stretch of road. WSCC and highway agency please note "they dont work" and the flooding is worse.John Steed

mnairb wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.

Agree!

Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR website

[quote][p][bold]straycat[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.[/p][/quote]Agree![/p][/quote]Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR websitePETE OF QUEENS PARK

mnairb wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.

Agree!

Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR website

In my day, they were known as the Queens!

[quote][p][bold]PETE OF QUEENS PARK[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]straycat[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.[/p][/quote]Agree![/p][/quote]Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR website[/p][/quote]In my day, they were known as the Queens!mnairb

Reading all the comments on the report of a former soldier, that has been let down (once again) by the Army & Government I am not surprised that nothing gets done in the way off offering help!!

Here is someone that has through mental illness committed a crime of stealing a gun. Basically with the thought of killing himself. If he intended to kill someone other than him self, then there are a great deal of other ways of doing so. He has done at least one or two courses in unarmed combat. I know I was in the Para´s many years ago too.

No one seems to be greatly concerned about the reasons. (where are you then Army? Like the Police never there when you need them!!!) It is alright that he lays his life on the line to serve the misjudgments of the politicians & indirectly for his country. Where is the very obvious help & understanding with his & his comrades problems after serving in a Theater of War. I know two people here in Germany having extrem difficulties coming to terms with their experiences in Afghanistan.

It is sad to read of his problem & honestly, when you have served your country & as a result you fall ill through doing so; one has a reasonable expectation that one will receive good & proper help.

A very sad state of affairs in the extreme, in my opinion.

Reading all the comments on the report of a former soldier, that has been let down (once again) by the Army & Government I am not surprised that nothing gets done in the way off offering help!!
Here is someone that has through mental illness committed a crime of stealing a gun. Basically with the thought of killing himself. If he intended to kill someone other than him self, then there are a great deal of other ways of doing so. He has done at least one or two courses in unarmed combat. I know I was in the Para´s many years ago too.
No one seems to be greatly concerned about the reasons. (where are you then Army? Like the Police never there when you need them!!!) It is alright that he lays his life on the line to serve the misjudgments of the politicians & indirectly for his country. Where is the very obvious help & understanding with his & his comrades problems after serving in a Theater of War. I know two people here in Germany having extrem difficulties coming to terms with their experiences in Afghanistan.
It is sad to read of his problem & honestly, when you have served your country & as a result you fall ill through doing so; one has a reasonable expectation that one will receive good & proper help.
A very sad state of affairs in the extreme, in my opinion.Brightonian in Germany

The army have a history, despite their present pretence, of casting off soldiers.
All the memorials we have now are comparitively recent, and the care.
After Waterloo the corpses of the allied dead were sold to a fertiliser manufacturer who had been following the campaign.
Only the officers had their bodies returned home.
Every one of the many times I pass Headley Court I think that at least sometimes these days we treat our soldiers with due respect.

The army have a history, despite their present pretence, of casting off soldiers.
All the memorials we have now are comparitively recent, and the care.
After Waterloo the corpses of the allied dead were sold to a fertiliser manufacturer who had been following the campaign.
Only the officers had their bodies returned home.
Every one of the many times I pass Headley Court I think that at least sometimes these days we treat our soldiers with due respect.Old Ladys Gin

Still living here in Germany & near a town that has two Barracks, I have seen the effects going to the front has on our Soldiers. I still maintain that the level of care that comes from the Government is pitiful. If it was not for all the Charities that raise so much money for them, then
I dread to think what could happen.

1% of the money wasted on the Banks would have & would make a massive difference.

@ Old Ladys Gin, hey I thought I was the only one who knew that fact.
Still living here in Germany & near a town that has two Barracks, I have seen the effects going to the front has on our Soldiers. I still maintain that the level of care that comes from the Government is pitiful. If it was not for all the Charities that raise so much money for them, then
I dread to think what could happen.
1% of the money wasted on the Banks would have & would make a massive difference.Brightonian in Germany

mnairb wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.

Agree!

Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR website

In my day, they were known as the Queens!

Yep, in mine too. I think pete of qp actually means England's senior infantry regiment of the line.
A few minutes on google may well have left him none the wiser.

[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]PETE OF QUEENS PARK[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]straycat[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]mnairb[/bold] wrote:
Surely you mean 'The Princess of Wales Royal Regiment' - a few minutes on Google would have sorted that out, more sloppy reporting from The Argus.[/p][/quote]Agree![/p][/quote]Yes PRINCESS OF WALES ROYAL REGIMENT also known as britains leading infantry regiment (check the PWRR website[/p][/quote]In my day, they were known as the Queens![/p][/quote]Yep, in mine too. I think pete of qp actually means England's senior infantry regiment of the line.
A few minutes on google may well have left him none the wiser.nocando